Fossils

Origins and evolution of New Zealand flora and fauna.

Like our modern flora and fauna, New Zealand fossils have a unique character that reflects the long isolation of the landmass and its location on the margin of the Southern Ocean. Research on our fossil record helps to understand the origins of our modern biota. Fossils are also a primary research and consultancy tool for establishing the age of sediments and sedimentary rocks (biostratigraphy), interpreting depositional conditions (paleoenvironmental analysis), and deciphering the record of past climate change.